The Triangle of Power

The Triangle of Power: Rebalancing the New World Order is a recent book by Finnish President Alexander Stubb about how the post-1945 global order is breaking down and what might replace it.

The core idea in the book is the changes in world politics. The old liberal order is unraveling, replaced by multipolar rivalry, weaker global norms, and more transactional politics. The current period is unstable because it is an in-between era before a new system fully takes shape.

Three forces shaping world politics.

• The Global West, led by the United States and its allies.
• The Global East is centered on China and supported by Russia and other authoritarian powers.
• The Global South is a swing force that may determine whether the future order is cooperative or fragmented.

The book argues that multilateralism still matters. But the current version is too Western-centric, too legitimacy-poor, and too weak to handle today’s power shifts. The post-1945 system no longer matches reality, because trust has eroded, global rules are applied unevenly, and many countries in the Global South feel underrepresented.

• It is outdated. The old order assumed Western dominance and broad acceptance of rules, but that assumption no longer holds.
• It lacks trust. Broken trust between states is one of the biggest problems undermining cooperation.
• It is too exclusive. The Global South needs real agency, not just symbolic inclusion.
• It has become inconsistent. Western double standards and post-9/11 behavior weakened the system’s credibility.
• It is too rigid for today’s world. The system needs more flexible, reform-minded cooperation rather than a return to a one-size-fits-all model.

The book is not rejecting multilateralism but wants to rebuild it into a more inclusive, rules-based, and values-driven system. Multilateralism has lost legitimacy because it no longer reflects the balance of power or the concerns of most countries, so it must be reformed to survive.

The book calls for values-based realism, which seeks to combine practical foreign policy with respect for human rights, international law, and dignity. The book argues that the West must listen more, reform its institutions, and engage the Global South more seriously if it wants to remain relevant.

Value-based realism is a practical middle ground that upholds core values such as human rights, freedom, the rule of law, and international norms while recognizing that other countries have different histories, cultures, and priorities.

• Stay principled, but not preachy. Values should be promoted respectfully, not in a moralizing way that shuts down dialogue.
• Accept limits. Not every country will become a liberal democracy, so diplomacy has to work with the world as it is, not only as we wish it were.
• Use compromise when needed. Solving wars, climate change, and other global problems often requires concessions and respectful bargaining.
• Reform multilateralism to a stronger, more inclusive international institution rather than pure great-power transactional politics.
• Engage the Global South seriously. The West needs to listen more and reduce distrust by treating other regions as equal partners.

The book says the world is moving into a new power balance, and the future will depend on whether major powers can rebuild trust and inclusive cooperation.